Two Weeks
by Dew007
Summary: Two weeks is way too long to be in Minnesota, at a cabin, alone, with Jack… She was lost in thoughts once again. AU-ish, eventual teamfic and S/J. Rating could go up.


AN: Turmoil on Haldore is on hold. I have lost my muse on it; I think it ran away screaming once Rhen-tu got what he deserved. Anyways, this is a story that has been in my head for quite a while and has been begging me to post it. Enjoy!

**Saturday**

Sam sighed heavily and stubbed the end of her crutch against the parking garage wall. Mentally she was kicking herself for saying yes and thinking this would be a great getaway. She was contemplating making up some excuse to skip out and cancel the plans. Aside from all the projects she was leaving unfinished in her lab she was hurting. She really just wanted to go home and spend the next week lying in bed feeling somewhat sorry for herself. If there was anything Samantha Carter hated, it had to be being injured and pulled from active duty. She huffed again, this time bumping the tire of the dark green truck before her.

"How many times have I told you ya think too much?" A familiar voice chimed from the tailgate. She hadn't heard him approach. She fidgeted slightly, trying to tie up the loose ends of her escape plan in her head. He obviously noticed because a very smug look crossed his face not a moment too soon.

"Oh…you're not getting out of it this time! I have orders to keep you away from the SGC and your lab for a minimum of two weeks."

"_TWO WEEKS!_" Sam exclaimed nearly dropping a crutch in the process. "I thought it was a week, I can't be gone for two weeks, that's ridiculous! Not to mention you can only fish but so much I mean really!" Jack simply smiled and watched the mental breakdown begin. He had to admit, Samantha Carter all frazzled about two weeks away from work was kind of hot. He loved the way her brow furrowed and she glared at him, it only made him grin.

Sam glared at him, she was biting her tongue. _You devil! I could just whack you in the head with a crutch right now and wipe that cheesy grin off your face. Really two weeks was way too long to be away from the SGC….Two weeks is way too long to be in Minnesota, at a cabin, alone, with Jack…_ She was lost in thoughts once again and the sudden softness that now graced her features worried Jack a little. He rocked impatiently onto his heels before clearing his throat in a fashion that was meant to get her attention. It worked.

"So I'll drop you off at your house and pick you up at 0600. Flight leaves out at 0800 then we're…"

"If you say 'off to see the wizard' I might actually clump you with one of these." Sam waved a crutch in his direction and he gave her another sheepish grin before opening the door for her to get in.

"It's not that bad Carter, really. The boys will be up on Friday so that means you only have to put up with me for six and a half days, which will really turn out to be more like four days seeing as I will be spending most of my time sitting beside my fishless pond…fishing."

….

**1100 hrs. Saturday**

After what seemed like the longest flight in the history of short flights, two delays and a switch due to computer malfunction, they finally landed in Rochester, MN. Sam was in a horrible mood and had she been allowed to have her side arm, she likely would have shot a pilot or three by now. Jack was in and even worse mood and she was sure he would have shot someone.

"I told you we should have taken a military flight, but NO, let's fly with the civvies." Sam had taken quite well to mocking him in his own sarcastic tone.

"This coming from the person that doesn't like to throw her weight around and is against unnecessary use of military transport…" oh he had learned how to snap back. He was pretty sure she growled at him and he took a step back away from the reach of her crutches. He groaned and stalked off to retrieve their luggage.

_Four and a half more hours and you'll be snug in your cabin! She'll be alright then… _Truth be told he just wanted her to relax, like everyone else. She had a tendency to over compensate when she was injured and would overwork herself in the process. He knew she had an ego, as much as she would never admit it; she hated to feel like she wasn't pulling her load. He grunted and shook his head, she was a lot like him in that manner, but he knew how to take time off and enjoy the world, at least his little slice of it anyways.

Once he had the bags all packed into the rental truck and had safely seen Sam into the passenger seat he offered her an apologetic smile.

"Look Carter…I'm sorry. Everyone is just worried about you. You spend way too much time working, even when you're not there you're working. That brain of yours never stops. You're probably sitting there now thinking up some way to alter the laws of physics right now." His fingers fidgeted on the steering wheel.

Sam smiled back and sighed. She reached across and placed a hand lightly on his forearm,

"Don't worry about it, I get it. It's always the same and this time has just been bad. I can't take being off duty this long, it drives me nuts. I feel like I need to be doing something, and the lab is my second home. There's things in there right now I have been dying to look at and still haven't gotten my hands on it. To be honest though, right now I'm thinking about a nap and a steak." That brought an earnest smile to his face.

"Well you have four and a half hours to nap, and I'll handle the steak when we get there." He turned the ignition and the truck roared to life.

Sam adjusted her seat back a little so she could stretch her injured leg and balled her jacket up under her head to use as a pillow. She didn't complain when he turned the radio on and he kept it low enough to keep from disturbing her. The trees outside the window caught her attention and she turned towards it, gazing out over the landscapes surrounding them. Multiple hues of orange and red dotted the hilly country they traveled. All in all it seemed to paint the perfect picture of early autumn.

She looked out the window quietly, wondering just how nice it must be to live up here. Sure the winters were cold but it all seemed so peaceful. It wasn't long before the sparse forest gave way to open farmland that seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. Sam yawned and glanced over at Jack who was focused on the road ahead, his fingers unconsciously tapping against the steering wheel with the beat on the radio. She smiled and turned onto her side with her back to him and curled her arms around her jacket. It wasn't long before she finally let sleep win the battle.

_Fishing, alone with Jack for two whole weeks! This is great, it's beyond great! Sam sat next to him on the dock a pole perched carefully in her hands and a beer at her feet. She offered him a smile and received a grin in return. The sun was swiftly sinking below the trees that rimmed his little secluded slice of heaven and she couldn't help but notice the beautiful array of colors that reflected on the water from the beginning sunset._

"_C'mon, I got a fired going inside…" his voice was soft and it startled her. She reeled in her line and handed him her pole. He reached over and as he grabbed the rod he unexpectedly grabbed her hand along with it. Neither of them could ignore the tingle that flowed up their arms at the contact. Sam instantly blushed and his eyes crinkled with his smile. He slid the rod from her hand into his other and then locked his fingers between hers. She didn't argue or pull away; strangely it felt so right squeezing his hand in a reassuring manner._

_Jack pulled her gently to her feet and then towards the cabin, failing to relinquish his hold on her hand in the process. Sam walked much closer than necessary letting her arm loop around his, their fingers still entwined together. They walked silently up the gentle slope to his cabin and instead of leaving her to properly put the poles away he leaned them up against the railing on his deck and turned pulling her through the door with him._

_The smell of burning wood filled the cabin; it was a nice smell she decided. And she wasn't quite sure when they had decided to abandon the couch and now sat on the floor before the fire. They hadn't said much if anything, it seemed words just weren't necessary and Sam couldn't remember a time when she felt more content. She sighed softly leaning into his side, her head resting on his shoulder. Jack let his hand slide over her shoulder pulling her tightly against him and turned ever so slightly to plant a kiss on her forehead. Sam bit her lip quietly trying to fight the tears that threatened at the rims of her eyes. Everything was perfect, so why was she crying?_

She jumped into awareness, her mind now registering that she was dreaming. She had tears streaming down her cheeks and quickly swiped at them trying to hide the sniffle as she fought to catch her breath. She was vaguely aware of the jacket that now covered her torso and the slight deceleration of the vehicle, then his voice.

"You okay Carter?" If he were trying to hide the obvious concern in his voice, he wasn't doing a very good job. His hand reached over and rested on her shoulder in a reassuring manner.

Sam quickly sat up readjusting herself and subconsciously hugging his coat closer to her. She couldn't tell him what the real problem was so she stretched her leg a bit and winced, perhaps adding a little more drama than needed but she just couldn't tell him.

"Yeah…I uh, my leg just hurts…" she offered and slid a hand down to rub at the brace beneath her jeans. The look in his eyes could have killed her, she wasn't sure she had ever seen that degree of regret except in extreme situations.

"I didn't think about how a four and a half hour car ride would affect you. I should've known better…" he gritted his teeth mentally reprimanding himself for being so dumb. Sam's feigned smile and soft touch on his elbow was enough to shut his mind up, at least for the moment.

"It's okay, really. How much farther do we have to go?" her hand retreated back beneath the coat and she leaned back into her seat. Jack let the mental beating go for the moment and glanced around outside the truck. It was slowly building back up into the familiar forest scenery. He knew these woods oh too well and he smiled contently.

"About 30 more minutes down that path." He pointed out the windshield to a rock road off to the right that stretched back into the woods and disappeared at a sharp corner. Sam nodded her response and settled into the seat as the truck veered from the smooth pavement and onto the crunch of the rock road ahead of them.

….

**1530 hrs.**

She once again found her gaze drawn outside the cab. She couldn't help but enjoy the trees around them. As many planets and forest as she had seen, nothing quite compared to those of Earth. Perhaps that's because Earth was home and one is always partial to their natural habitat. She smiled watching as the trees slowly went by and snuggled tighter into his jacket and though she wouldn't admit it out loud, she loved how it smelled of him and the fact that he had been aware enough to catch the moment she chilled and had covered her with the only thing available. He was hot by nature; she knew that after years of camping off world with someone you learn a few things.

Jack drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, keeping beat with the radio. He spared a glance in her direction and smiled as she seemed to be lost in thought. He admired the sight of her wrapped in his jacket for a moment and then turned his attention back to the gravel path. _Oh finally! Home…_ he thought as the truck rounded the last corner and the small clearing that contained his cabin and his pond came into view.

He did a scan of the area as he pulled up in front of the house, taking note of anything that needed to be fixed or cleaned up. There were stray branches and leaves strewn about but it was nothing he couldn't finish in a good day. He huffed slightly at that thought, _That means Carter only has to put up with me for three days altogether. A week without the boys and I'm going to spend it enjoying my cabin and her company… No not like that, she already hates the place._ He looked over at her once more as if it would be written on her face that she was thoroughly annoyed already.

Instead he found her smiling and scanning the area much as he had done. Sam was a mystery to him and he wasn't quite sure he'd ever figure her out. His mind settled for a moment and he shut the truck off then swung the door open and bounded out somewhat happily.

"Well this is it!" He announced over the empty driver's seat towards her.

"It's…nice, really." Her voice was genuine and so was the soft smile that seemed to be stuck on her lips.

"Here…" Jack shut his door and quickly circled the truck to open hers. He opened the door behind her and pulled her crutches from the back seat and offered them before her. The wrinkled nose she gave him suggested she hated the idea but he knew better.

"You've just spent…"

"I know, I know…but I still hate the things." she grumped as she slid from the truck and let the crutches perch under her arms. Her leg was stiff and it hurt as she stretched it beneath her and flexed her knee a few times. He watched her a moment waiting to be certain she would be okay. She offered him his jacket and swung herself away from the truck and into the yard.

"I've got a bit of yard work to do, but… well its home to me." The childlike expression that he held amused her as he pointed out things around the cabin that needed to be taken care of.

She followed him quietly around the back of the cabin and let her eyes fall over the pond. She couldn't help but smile, it was so Jack O'Neill. The little dock stretched just far enough over the water to let you have the feeling you were in the middle of the pond. Sam made her way onto the dock and looked over the reflection of the sky on the surface of the water. Her mind inadvertently drifted back to the dream she'd had on the way over and she cleared her throat, hoping that would also clear her treacherous mind.

She heard the familiar sound of his boots on the boards behind her and turned to see him offering her a deck chair.

"You want a beer?" he asked as he started back toward the truck to get their things. Sam settled into the chair, propping the crutches against the arm.

"Please…" her stomach growled reminding her it had been a while since she had eaten anything, "and how about that steak?" she called back in a teasing tone.

"Yes ma'am." He called back to her.

Moments later he was back, the fait scent of charcoal on his clothes as he handed her a beer and took his seat next to her. Sam raised the bottle to her lips and took a small swig. He wasted little time in taking a big gulp and giving an over dramatic sigh afterwards.

"That's good beer…" he quipped lifting the bottle slightly in front of him.

"Any beer is good beer to you." Sam smiled raising the bottle to her lips once more.

"Ah no, not just any beer…Guinness!" he triumphantly took another swig.

"There was a time when you said that about Budweiser…" Sam smirked behind her bottle and he offered her a half sneer before bouncing out of his seat to check on the grill. He finished his beer on the way to the porch.

"Want another?"

"No thanks still got half a bottle." She called back holding her bottle up as if he could see the liquid inside.

"Aw c'mon Carter, you gotta keep up!"

"I wasn't aware this was a drinking vacation sir!" She giggled as she heard him mutter at the coals. She turned slightly in her seat to watch him poke at the fire in the grill and disappear into the house.

….

Two signature Jack O'Neill steaks, grilled in beer, a baked potato and salad later they sat quietly at the dock once more. Sam was picking at the label of her beer, twisting the bottle in her hands. Jack was busy setting up a reel and cursing at himself as he pricked his finger with a hook. Sam smiled contently and leaned back into her chair and let her eyes drift towards the sky. It slowly began to change colors. Amber waves now danced through the misty blue sky, stretching above the trees around the back of the pond.

Sam's mind couldn't help but filter back to her dream as her eyes fell once again to the reflection of the sunset in the water. A huff and a thud later she turned to find a fishing pole being handed to her, Jack seeming to tower over her as he now stood to her side. She pushed herself up, happy with the fact that she could get up without his help or the use of the crutches, the brace really did come in handy.

"All set…" he gave a somewhat triumphant smile. _You finally got Carter to go fishing with you…well almost she just has to cast the line…_ apparently his smile had a fan as he caught Sam's questioning gaze.

"What?" the corner of Sam's mouth turned up slightly with her question and she squinted at him trying to figure out just why he was smiling that way. She turned to the reel as he shrugged it off and for a moment and wondered just what to do. Only Jack could hand something to her as simple as a reel and get the puzzled look she now wore.

"Ah c'mon Carter, throw that baby out there!" He encouraged as he swiftly clicked the button and swung his reel at the same time. The hook and anchor soared over the water in a smooth line straight towards the middle of the pond and landed with a small _plunk_. Ripples drifted over the surface, away from the disturbance of the line.

Sam watched him cast his line and pressed the button on hers. She swung back and forward but released the button a little too late and the hook dropped and dangled a few inches from the eye of the reel. She wrinkled her nose, slightly disgusted at how hard something so simple could be. The huff of a chuckle from her right alerted her to the fact that he found this oh too amusing. She lowered the rod and glared over at him.

"It's easy! How is it you can rewrite Quantum Physics but when it comes to casting a line…" he choked on his words as her eyes narrowed with warning at him.

"Here, I'll show you…" he offered as he stepped over to her, letting his pole drop into the holder of his chair. He scooted her chair back a little and stood behind her, _perhaps a little closer than necessary_ her thoughts supplied.

"Flip the trigger, here and reel the line back up." He reached around her pointing at the trigger on the side of the reel casing. She flipped it and cranked the handle until the hook and sinker were once again at the opening of the eye. Jack reached around her and slid his arm even with hers and covered her hand with his own. He pressed his thumb into hers causing her to hold the button and pulled their arms back.

His mind was screaming how wrong it was, but trying to reason at the same time he was only teaching her to cast a line. You could reason with yourself right? He tried not to let the tingle that traveled up his arm or the slight way her hip pressed into his as he pulled her arm back, get to him. Ultimately he failed as he could feel his heart pounding in his chest and he was sure she could hear it.

She must have because she tensed when he covered her hand and he was sure he heard her breath catch as their bodies twisted together. Truth is she was having a hard time ignoring the places they were touching as well. His hand was warm and she fought the urge to shiver as the warmth of his body pressed against her made her skin crawl with goose bumps. _God he's your CO! You shouldn't be feeling this way when he's near you…_

"So you…uh just pull your arm back and when you swing forward and follow through make sure you let the button go as the reel stops." He hoped she didn't hear the rasp in his voice. He pushed against her and repeated the movement he had described. Her shoulder flexed forward and so did his and he was now pressed completely against her back.

Sam wasn't quite sure she heard him; she really couldn't get past the feel of his body pressed against hers. The rigging flew from the reel and plunked into the water next to his somewhere, neither of them moved. His breath washed softly over the back of her neck and she was extremely aware of how close they were. Sam bit her bottom lip between her teeth trying hard not to give in to her treacherous body that was screaming to shiver and just relax against him.

"Your hand is cold…" he spoke to her, voice barely above a whisper. Those few more breaths were all it took and she shivered and shook her head. She jumped forward a bit, her mind finally regaining control as her lungs had obviously decided to quit functioning.

The movement startled Jack and he quickly stepped back. Perhaps too quickly, as he found himself teetering on the edge of the dock trying to not lose his balance. _Shit_ was all the crossed his mind as he reached for something, anything to keep him from falling. Unfortunately the one thing he latched onto was the thing he had just pulled away from, Sam. They both splashed unceremoniously into the water.

Jack came up sputtering and reached for his unintended victim. Sam was struggling with the brace on her leg and was thankful when his hands closed around her arm and drug her through the water to him. She slid her arms around his neck, coughing as the chill of the water stole all the air from her lungs.

"Gees Carter…"

"S'okay…was an accident but its cold!" Her teeth chattered just a bit and he pulled her with him towards the bank of the pond; as soon as he could touch the bottom he swung an arm behind her knees and lifted her onto dry ground.

"Let's get you in the house." He left her momentarily to retrieve the crutches and then helped her to her feet. Sam shivered and quickly covered the ground between the pond and the cabin. Jack was on her heels and passed her to open the door.

"I think I'm going to go ahead and shower, need to get out of these clothes." Jack just nodded and looked after her as she headed towards the guest room he had showed her earlier.

…..

Sam sat quietly on the bed, a towel wrapped around her. She ran her fingers over her injured leg; the knee and ankle were still badly discolored. With a sigh she rubbed at the muscles a moment before pushing herself off the bed. It hurt a little more without the brace on but she could make due. Rummaging through her bags she sighed at a pair of sweats and decided they would be better than jeans right now. Looking for a shirt she groaned, how had she only packed t-shirts going to Minnesota in early fall?

_Jack says he keeps his out of season clothes in that dresser…_ oh how tempting a thought. She eyed the dresser for a moment before deciding to at least look and see what he had. She pulled a drawer open and picked through the shirts until she found something that suited. It was a rust colored jersey knit sleeved shirt. She had actually seen him wear it a couple of times and to say he looked good in it was a bit of an understatement.

Jack had taken the time to get a shower once he was sure Sam was finished, which meant the water pressure returned in the kitchen. He now sat in front of a warm fire in the living room in a black tee and sweats. _Comfy_ he thought as he took the poker and jabbed at the flames in the fireplace. He picked up his beer, the one he had gotten as soon as he'd heard Sam close her door and took a swig. He was kicking himself for that stupid little stunt.

_What in the world made you get that close to her?_ He grunted and downed another swallow of the brown liquid. _You're walking a thin line buddy. Maybe this was a bad idea. _Another grunt and another swig.

"Uh um…" Sam cleared her throat, hoping to stop the relentless attack Jack had launched against the already burning logs. It worked as she tried not to smile when he startled and twisted in his chair to find her.

"Hope you don't mind I uh…" she gestured to the shirt and twisted her fingers nervously in the hem. "Didn't pack any sleeves, aside from my jacket."

"No, no it's fine. Glad you could get some use out of it." He couldn't suppress the warm smile that spread over his lips as he admired her in his shirt. It was about two sizes too big for her and hung loosely over her shoulders. The sleeves were slightly long and he liked the way her fingers twisted into the material in their nervous fashion. _Nervous? Why is she nervous, it's just me! She sure wears that shirt better than I do…_

Sam blushed as his eyes didn't leave her and she ran her fingers through her hair for the thousandth time since she left the shower. She took a step and then found the strength in her leg to carry her to the couch where she sat and pulled her legs up beside her.

Jack finished his beer and motioned to the kitchen as if to ask if she wanted anything. She shook her head and he decided he'd had enough beer for the night as he pushed himself up to discard the bottle.

"It really is a nice place…" Sam offered, trying to break the awkward silence that had fallen between them.

"Yes well, slice of heaven, humble abode and all that." He shrugged nonchalantly as he came back in and took a seat at the opposite end of the couch from her. Sam smiled and stretched her good leg across the couch to nudge his thigh gently.

"I'm okay sir, it was an accident. You can stop court martialing yourself now." The sigh that came from him was somewhat unconvincing as he raised an eyebrow at her.

"I just, ugh I'm sorry. Maybe coming up here…"

"Was a great idea. I haven't had such peace in a long time. It's quiet here, it's a nice change." Her smile seemed genuine enough and strangely that was enough for him. He returned the smile and held up the remote.

"Simpsons are on…"

"Now that could be considered a degree of torture." Sam teased and he feigned a pout as she giggled.

"D'oh no giggling!" he clicked the power button and together they waited for the Simpsons to come on.

….

He wasn't quite sure when, but some point during the two hour Simpsons special Sam had fallen asleep, curled up on her end of the couch. Jack clicked the tv off and grunted as he pushed himself up off the couch and stretched. He checked his doors and shut off the lights before returning to the living room. The fire cast a warm glow over her sleeping form and he watched her quietly, admiring just how peaceful and carefree she looked. Not to mention she was curled up on his couch and in his shirt. That was a sight he could get used to.

Finally he decided he couldn't let her stay on the couch, as comfy as she looked, he knew better. That couch had lead to many a mornings of back pain for him. He kneeled next to her and shook her shoulder softly.

"Carter…Carter, wake up, you need to go to bed."

"Mmmm…" was his only answer and she yawned before settling once more. He tried again, shaking her a little harder.

"Hey sleepy head…" he pretty much gave up as she whimpered her disapproval of being disturbed at him.

"Alright then…" Jack slid his arms under her and lifted her up against his chest. He used the couch to help him up and Sam flexed in his arms. She twisted just enough to bury her face into his shoulder, her fingers curling into his shirt at his chest.

He stood for a moment looking down at the woman in his arms. For a moment there was no ache in his knees and no kink in his back, for a moment he was content with the way she naturally melted into him and relaxed against his body. Finally his body told him he'd better move and he started down the hall careful not to let her leg bump anything in the process. Moments later he was laying her down on the bed and he pulled the blankets up over her body.

Sam yawned and wiggled beneath the covers. He stared down at her; his heart was completely and totally captivated by this woman.

"Good night Samantha." He whispered to her, brushing a finger over her cheek. He was startled when her hand caught his and she twined her fingers between his, giving his hand a light squeeze.

"Night Jack…" her voice was heavy with sleep and her eyes didn't even peak at him, so he wasn't completely sure it was a conscious action. However he couldn't help the leap his heart took hearing his name from her lips. Reluctantly he backed away from her bed and she seemed to hold tighter to his hand for a few moment s longer until she finally let him slip away from her.

Jack paused outside her door, breathing somewhat heavily. He had not expected that and man did it feel good. He smiled smugly to himself and stole once last glance at her sleeping form before pulling the door shut and slipping down the hall to his own bed.

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AN: So hope you liked it. This story should finish out around 14 chapters. R&R very much appreciated!


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